There are currently forgotten occupant warning systems that alert a third party, such as a driver, when an occupant remains in a passenger compartment of a vehicle after the vehicle has been shut off and the driver has exited the vehicle. Further, the known forgotten occupant warning system issues a temperature condition warning when an actual temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined temperature. However, the previously known forgotten occupant warning systems utilize a temperature sensor provided within the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Such systems have proven useful for issuing a temperature condition warning in situations in which the actual temperature in the passenger compartment of the vehicle is at a predetermined level. However, a driver may disregard warnings or fail to take the required countermeasures until the actual temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle exceeds the predetermined threshold. For example, a driver is not warned of a temperature condition at the time of exiting the vehicle if the current actual temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle is less than the predetermined temperature. Therefore, a driver may disregard a forgotten occupant alert, that an occupant remains in the vehicle, based on the current actual temperature. For example, the driver may not take into account the future temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, thereby erroneously disregarding a future temperature condition for the forgotten occupant.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative systems and methods for warning a third party of a temperature condition outside a predetermined temperature range for a forgotten occupant based on an estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment.